Nowadays, TV is practically the only thing we can rely on; that new and returning shows will delight and unite audiences in otherwise confusing times. Whether your life is consumed by some newbie called “Severance” or invigorated by the impending return of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, TV will be unflinchingly at your side, as it has in years passed and will be in years to come. IndieWire’s TV team picked the series we’re most excited about — mostly new, but with a few oldies we couldn’t resist including — and already the year seems a bit brighter. Here are IndieWire’s 11 most anticipated TV shows of 2023. Erin Strecker, Ben Travers, and Steve Greene contributed to this article.
1. “Masters of the Air” (Apple TV+)
Following landmark television entries “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman are reuniting for their third World War II limited series, this time at Apple TV+. “Masters of the Air” is adapted from Donald L. Miller’s 2006 book (subtitled “America’s Bomber Boys”), which chronicles the men of the Eighth Air Force and their aerial assaults above Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden during the world’s first and only bomber war. Further plot details are scant, along with a release date, but filming is completed (after beginning nearly two years ago, in February 2021), and Apple is heavily invested in the project — to the tune of $20-27 million for each of the 10 episodes. (“Masters of the Air” is also the first series greenlit with Apple serving as the studio.) The cast is led by “Elvis” breakout Austin Butler, alongside Callum Turner, Raff Law, Barry Keoghan, Bel Powley, and Anthony Boyle, with Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (“Half-Nelson”), Cary Fukunaga (“No Time To Die”), and Dee Rees (“Mudbound”) directing. John Orloff, who wrote for the original “Band of Brothers” series, and Graham Yost (“Justified”) are the series’ writing EPs. “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” won 14 Emmy Awards, collectively, and the former is routinely listed among the best TV series ever made. —B.T. Related ‘Yellowjackets’ Lands Season 3 Renewal – 3 Months Ahead of Season 2 Premiere ‘Riches’ Imagines a ‘Succession’ Scenario Where Big Business Is Good Related Nightmare Film Shoots: The Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from ‘Deliverance’ to ‘Mad Max’ to ‘Avatar 2’ Guillermo del Toro’s Favorite Movies: 45 Films the Director Wants You to See
2. “Succession” (HBO)
Graeme Hunter/HBO Any time spent away from the scheming Roy family is too long. After Tom’s (Matthew McFayden) shocking moves in the Season 3 finale, it’s every Roy for himself or Shivself in the face of Logan’s wrath (Brian Cox). Even if Waystar Royco finds itself once again on stormy seas, Season 4 all but guarantees a heaping share of Kendall cringe (Jeremy Strong), Shiv grit (Sarah Snook), and freshly packaged horror we can’t help but root for courtesy of Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Gerry (J Smith-Cameron). Family really will always be there for us. —P.K.
3. “Justified: City Primeval” (FX)
Reviving one of the most acclaimed series of all time is no easy feat, but “Justified” fans have been clamoring for more since the FX drama ended in 2015, and “City Primeval” is their just (“Just”?) reward. Timothy Olyphant returns as Raylan Givens, the U.S. Marshall who’s left behind a life in Kentucky to raise his kid (played by the star’s real-life daughter, Vivian Olyphant) in Miami. But duty calls him back north — further north, to Detroit, Michigan, where a sociopathic criminal (Boyd Holbrook) needs to meet the long arm of the law. The cast also include Aunjanue Ellis, Adelaide Clemens, and Marin Ireland, who will be working from scripts by co-showrunners Dave Andron and Michael Dinner. (“Justified” showrunner Graham Yost is onboard as an executive producer.) “City Primeval” is adapted from Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name (plus the subtitle: “High Noon in Detroit”), but the story has been altered to include Raylan as a chief protagonist. (The book followed another character.) No word has been given on if “Justified” favorites Walton Goggins or Jere Burns will return, as well, but given the outright success of Olyphant’s other recent revival — the long-rumored and beautifully realized “Deadwood” movie — hopes are high across-the-board for his next round of gunslinging. —B.T.
4. “Daisy Jones and the Six” (Prime Video), March 3
Lacey Terrell/Prime Video Based on the beloved bestseller by Taylor Jenkins Reid, this drama tells the tale of a 1970s rock group (think: Fleetwood Mac) and the high profile relationship breakdowns and personal drama of a star on the rise. Starring Riley Keough and Sam Clafin this highly anticipated adaptation is sure to be a delicious treat for those who enjoy a titillating peek behind the velvet rope, as well as those who love some good heartbreak – or, at least, the powerful music that comes from it. — E.S.
5. “Wool” (Apple TV+)
Hugh Howey’s sci-fi series of novels and connected works will arrive on Apple TV+ after a decade-long journey to the screen. This season tracks a community of people literally forced underground when the Earth becomes inhabitable. Rebecca Ferguson, David Oyelowo, and Tim Robbins star as an engineer, sheriff, and tech specialist in a massive silo, where a new way of life leads to a new dystopian order. Harriet Walter, Common, Rashida Jones, and Iain Glen also play some of the silo’s other notable residents. Former “Justified” boss Graham Yost serves as creator and a writer on this series with “The Imitation Game” director Morten Tyldum serving in the same role here. —S.G.
6. “Yellowjackets” (Showtime), March 24
Kailey Schwerman / Showtime Will the sophomore season of Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson’s plane crash survival smash hit live up to its debut? “Yellowjackets” Season 2 is as good at keeping secrets as its protagonists, but the breadcrumb trail is deeply alluring. Some of Season 1’s major questions could be answered — How did the girls get rescued? What does the symbol in the woods mean? — while casting announcements including more adult Yellowjackets (Van lives!) raise even more spine-tingling theories. —P.K.
7. “Secret Invasion” (Disney+)
Let’s be honest: Every Marvel project since “Avengers Endgame” has been some kind of crossover, and “Secret Invasion” is no different. Based on the 2008 comic by Brian Michael Bendis, the series centers mostly on Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who has been M.I.A. on Earth for years and grown increasingly enmeshed in the world of the Skrulls from “Captain Marvel.” The shape-shifting aliens have been secretly invading our planet (get it?) since the ’80s, but that secret is about to crack wide open. The trailer packages “Secret Invasion” like a “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”-esque spy thriller, with Ben Mendelsohn reprising his role as Talos and intriguing Marvel debuts from Kingsley Ben-Adir, Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, and more. —P.K.
8. “Mrs. Davis” (Peacock), April 20
Colleen Hayes/Peacock Picking the best reason to get excited for “Mrs. Davis” is impossible, so I’m just going to list all of them and let each of you, dear readers, decide for yourselves. The basic plot is option No. 1: “a nun goes to battle against an all-powerful Artificial Intelligence” called, you guessed it, Mrs. Davis. Option No. 2: Said nun (named Sister Simone) is played by none other than three-time Emmy nominee Betty Gilpin, in her first series lead role since “GLOW” ended. Option No. 3 is tied to Ms. Gilpin, in that “Mrs. Davis” marks her second collaboration with Damon Lindelof (the other being “The Hunt”), who serves as co-writer and executive producer here, alongside Tara Hernandez (“The Big Bang Theory”) as showrunner, executive producer, and co-writer. Option No. 4 is a bit more obscure, but anyone who read the special message “from Mrs. Davis” that was published with the release date announcement (April 20) may have delighted in the cheeky references to humanity’s demise, which sets a clever, biting comedic tone for the show, while also leading us to Option No. 5: another reference, intended or otherwise, to Eddie Murphy’s stand-up set about Mr. T. Hey, an A.I. algorithm has to pull its material from somewhere — why not “Raw”? —B.T.
9. “The Big Cigar” (Apple TV+)
After years of being one of the most dependable actors on the planet, from his impeccable work on “The Knick” to being the anchor on the undersung “The Eddy” to his impressive body of film work, Andre Holland finally gets a chance to be the main driver of a marquee TV series. Here, he’ll star as Huey P. Newton in a dramatization of the Black Panther Party founder’s mid-1970s attempt to avoid extradition by heading to Cuba. Alessandro Nivola co-stars as the Hollywood producer who, over the course of the six-episode series, works to find a way to get Newton out of the U.S. With Janine Sherman Barrois serving as showrunner and Don Cheadle directing the first third of the season, the series also features Glynn Turman, Tiffany Boone, Moses Ingram, and Noah Emmerich. — S.G.
10. “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” (Netflix), May 4
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX No “Bridgerton” character deserves a spinoff more than Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), the striking monarch who presides over Shonda Rhimes’ Regency reimagining. The eight-episode series will feature multiple “Bridgerton” actors, including Rosheuvel herself, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell — as well as young versions of the characters as they appear in Charlotte’s past. If the series does well, it could lead to more “Bridgerton” spinoffs — in case the next six Bridgerton siblings worth of love stories don’t do it. —P.K.
11. Bonus: “Ahsoka” (Disney+)
It’s extremely likely that the Star Wars series about Anakin Skywalker’s former padawan will premiere in 2023, but it gets an honorary mention in case that doesn’t end up happening. Rosario Dawson reprises the eponymous role, which she debuted in live-action for “The Mandalorian” Season 2 back in 2020. Ahsoka made her debut as a precocious teen in “Clone Wars,” but “Ahsoka” catches up with her as an adult. Before “The Mandalorian,” she was seen in “Star Wars: Rebels,” flying off with Sabine Wren (played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo in “Ahsoka”) in search of their lost friend Ezra (Eman Esfandi). Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Darth Vader, which means that master and padawan have not parted ways for the last time… —P.K. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
